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They wait for hours, sometimes days.
For some of them waiting has become a way of life
or, worse, the substance of life. Waiting for assistance,
for a job, for a drink, for a break, for the next
hit, for some spare change, for a housing voucher….
Waiting for something to change in a landscape that
always seems the same.
When you hear the word homeless who
do you picture? Perhaps, like many of us, you see
the guy on the street with a cardboard sign, or the
squeegee man who inevitably leaves your windshield
dirtier then when he started….
While these people make up a percentage
of our clients the face of homelessness is broader
than that. Our clients are youths age 17-24 - people
who have aged out of the foster care system and have
few skills and less hope. They are women and their
children running from abusive relationships. They
are people who let drugs take over their lives. And
sometimes it's just someone who had a spate of bad
luck and needs a little hand to get back up.
JHP serves all of these people and
we ask each of them the same question — what
have you done today to get a job?
Desmon is a 47 year old man who has struggled with chronic homelessness. Health problems made steady employment difficult for him. He came to Federal City Shelter (FCS) as a last resort. Desmon's determination in the shelter was unique.
When Desmon enrolled in JHP, he tried to work in several traditional jobs, but health problems made working regular shifts difficult. As a break from the pressure, Desmon went back to an old hobby, designing and producing t-shirts. He started making t-shirts for fellow residents and case managers, and even took small orders for sports teams and family reunions. Desmon wanted to expand the business, but he lacked the technology needed to produce a high volume of t-shirts. For Desmon, a $300 t-shirt press would mean the difference between a small, part-time hobby, and a stable lifelong career.
When Desmon approached JHP about helping him obtain that machine, we realized he was ready to take the next step. He had already developed new and improved business plans, and secured loans and bulk orders to ensure that he was able to pay back start up loans immediately. JHP had faith in his ability to succeed and helped him buy the t-shirt press.
Since then Desmon has moved into his own apartment through the mayors Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) plan. As of February, Desmon was working on orders totaling 900 t-shirts, and is now looking forward to expanding his business even further. Recently he gave testimony at a DC city council meeting, where he shared his experiences and how JHP was able to help him reach his goals.
You can watch the full video of Desmon's statement by going to: http://octt.gov/services/on_demand_video/on_demand_february_2009_week_3.shtm, and clicking on 2/19/09 Part 3 of the Public Hearing, Committee on Human Services.
Monica and her three sons
were homeless and running from an abusive relationship
when they came to Jobs for Homeless People. Now she
is employed by Verizon and has moved out of the shelter
and into an apartment in Rockville.
Devon saw his life ending
in prison or worse before he was 30. At 19 he had
been in trouble with the law more than a dozen times
and his family had disowned him for robbing his Grandmother's
house. Now he is going to Morehouse College on a full
scholarship.
Greg, a Vietnam Vet who'd
been on and off the street for close to 20 years,
found that he had a flair for databases in Jobs for
Homeless People's computer class. He now runs his
own business and just bought a house last fall.
Headquarters- 1526 Pennsylvania
Ave. SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
(202) 544-9128· Fax (202) 544-6600
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